UK Government open call for energy and utility Smart Data innovators

A Downing Street-led coalition is looking for leading minds working in data application for a huge new solutions drive. 

The Department for Business and trade, Challenge Works, Open Data Institute (ODI), and Smart Data Foundry are asking individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses, academic groups and civil society to share their idea for new solutions harnessing Smart Data for the benefit of society and the environment. 

The Smart Data Discovery Challenge invites anyone with experience in this space to submit ideas for cross-sector applications that will help deliver the future of business in Britain. Energy, financial services, retail, transport and real estate have all been given as examples of areas where there is huge potential for efficiencies and improvements to be made through data. Those that engage with this project will help shape a potential new Smart Data Prize 2024, and inform ongoing government policy. 

Ideas can be submitted until 8th December 2023, and you can find full details of how to get involved here.

‘A Smart Data economy could unlock transformative innovations just as open banking did for fintech,’ said Chris Gorst, Challenges Director at Challenge Works. ‘It is a new frontier and would represent a massive change to how individuals and small businesses take control of their data. We want innovative thinkers from across industry and society to recommend new smart data solutions that could make a difference for consumers and SMEs, to identify where obstacles need dismantling and where risks need mitigating.’

More on data and climate: 

How AI can reshape renewable energy optimisation and climate modelling

An effective climate economy needs valid remote sensing data

Look up, off world: The satellite tech driving climate action

Image: Markus Spiske